HILLSBOROUGH | The Story of Football's Darkest Day
Added 2025-06-12 06:00:07 +0000 UTChttps://youtu.be/SWCXo2-cA6s?si=AFwg2ogjJ8k38Ebc
Comments
There was an incredible drama based on the Hillsborough disaster. It's a three part story line from a show called Cracker. The US did a version of Cracker but it was cancelled half way through. Anyway. it's from series 2, and titled 'To Be Somebody'. Might be too long for a reaction but it's worth a watch if you'd like to see something different from over here in your own time. Lots of famous faces, impeccable writing and genius casting. I don't think anyone has reacted to it before.
Len's Flares
2025-07-16 13:58:03 +0000 UTCThe date is cursed, April 15th is also the date the Titanic sank. This will never be forgotten
Michael Tong
2025-07-03 21:03:17 +0000 UTCmy dad was there on this horrific day, thankfully he made it out okay. He still refuses to buy the sun newspaper to this day because of what they tried to claim.
Orla Davies
2025-06-23 22:30:03 +0000 UTCNever alone 🇬🇧
Jaimie-Lea Livingstone
2025-06-23 22:07:42 +0000 UTCyou mean you've written a blog that ISN'T about Rangers???????? Colour me shocked.
Lauren Weir
2025-06-15 16:55:47 +0000 UTCGlad to see you doing well in the EPL, but your chief of referees man bribed/stole his way past my Terriers in the playoff final. Always thought Derby were the better and bigger club with their titles in the 70's.
RDV
2025-06-14 21:15:15 +0000 UTCWell said! If they aren't there (without tickets) none of this happens.
Phoenix
2025-06-13 21:26:51 +0000 UTCGood reaction to the tragedy. You should also react to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z3mBIi084Q , very emotional . Justice for the 96
Nathan Davey
2025-06-13 19:39:34 +0000 UTCHow Liverpool fans refuse to take any blame is an absolute joke!
Richard rowley
2025-06-13 19:05:52 +0000 UTCI've been writing about it for many years, and I'm a Celtic fan. We have a special kinship with the Liverpool fans; we were the first club to play them after this. This is the piece I did for the anniversary this year. YNWA friends. https://thecelticblog.com/2025/04/articles-and-features/hillsborough-crime-system-failure-lies/
James Forrest
2025-06-13 18:11:55 +0000 UTCThere's no reason to doubt the reason why the police officer sent one of the ambulances out onto the field, in order to give the crowd the impression that the situation was under control, as that statement would have likely come from said police officer during an inquest. Also, I very much doubt that the police officer made that call for "PR reasons". It's far more likely a decision made in an effort to minimise the possibility of a riot from the angry crowd.
Right Said Brett
2025-06-13 15:59:28 +0000 UTCNot on the same level, but there was another disaster at Ibrox stadium where 66 fans lost their lives . Strangely, as Scotland is a hate filled little country, fans of Rangers' rivals mock these 66 souls who died at a football match. It's so extreme that someone was sacked from their job recently for mocking the victims.
Lauren Weir
2025-06-13 10:13:28 +0000 UTCI'd be interested to find out what caused that. The place was full of illegal migrants, apparently, with a 'fridge fault' being the cause of the issue. I believe that about as much as I believe that covid came from a bat in a cave 😂🤣
Phoenix
2025-06-13 09:30:39 +0000 UTCFans turned up without tickets and forced their way in to the ground. Indisputable facts, regardless of your emotions.
Phoenix
2025-06-13 09:27:59 +0000 UTCI'll always have the utmost respect for everyone who fought for justice. No fan should go to a football game and not be able to come home after. RIP to them all.
Daz Parker
2025-06-13 08:11:12 +0000 UTCIncompetence and corruption from all involved. Absolute disgrace it took 30 odd years to get justice.
Gary
2025-06-13 03:19:13 +0000 UTCThe youngest victim of the disaster Jon-Paul Gilhooley, 10, was the cousin of Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard. Gerrard has always said that his cousin was his biggest inspiration throughout his career. He lived his dream for him because he was no longer able to do so himself.
Paul Cole
2025-06-13 00:19:15 +0000 UTCI feel like Mike really struggled to follow this documentary properly. Kept getting Hillsborough and Heysel mixed up. At Hillsborough there was no violence or “attacking people”. Just poorly managed crowd control. The lies since by the establishment and media were absolutely abhorrent. Still to this day no true Liverpool fan (and most Everton fans too), wherever they hail from in the UK, will ever even browse a S*n newspaper for a second, click on anything of theirs online, or even spell it out without that asterisk, due to the absolutely disgraceful and beastly lies they printed about the people in that stadium who went to watch a football match and experienced hell on Earth or worse. I’m a Liverpool fan myself, have been since I was 5 yrs old but grew up in Essex. I was watching this unfold live on tv as an 8 year old. I have never considered touching, reading or paying heed to anything that rag of a newspaper has printed since I was 10 years old and I never will. I never played their fantasy football league and I have and will never engage with anything on any of their internet or social media platforms. It embarrasses me as a UK citizen that it is still even in business.
Paul Cole
2025-06-13 00:09:23 +0000 UTC❤️
Paul
2025-06-12 22:19:31 +0000 UTCAbsolutely horrific, you maybe also wanna do a reaction to the tragic fire at Bradford city stadium in 1985 ):
Andrè
2025-06-12 21:19:23 +0000 UTCThere was a huge inquiry, or rather several, so that’s where the detail of intentions came from
Kieran B
2025-06-12 20:39:46 +0000 UTCIt’s missing a fair bit of detail which would give an even clearer picture but a good overview of an absolutely horrific event
Kieran B
2025-06-12 20:38:27 +0000 UTCMy first memory. I was born 1981, dad was a Liverpool fan.
Bethan Williams
2025-06-12 20:13:02 +0000 UTCHe didnt realize it was lies being said by the copper. It was a one sided public wall of lies for years. Many people took what they said as the truth till they were exposed
Danny
2025-06-12 17:44:28 +0000 UTCHe DID NOT have a point. Most fans were not drunk. Another establishment lie!!
Martyn Dawson
2025-06-12 17:24:55 +0000 UTCi thought exactly the same about the comment RE the ambulances and the police chief. seemed real bias + intended to spite
James West
2025-06-12 16:39:55 +0000 UTCThe one positive aspect to emerge from this disaster and the often forgotten Bradford City Football stadium fire of 1985 was the tighter regulations regarding live events and modern venue design. A lot of the observations that Jess and Mike made are with modern day events in mind. Issues such as crowd control, first aid provision, evacuation plans, traffic management, security, fire prevention etc. form parts of the compulsory legislation that live events have to conform to. These issues were not a factor back then. Thankfully, modern stadia design has made massive leaps since those dark days of the 70’s and 80’s.
Steve B
2025-06-12 15:53:34 +0000 UTCExcellent documentary this. If your looking for another UK cover up story then check out the Grenfell disaster. It's scary the lengths people in power will go to
Malcom Kumar
2025-06-12 15:44:51 +0000 UTCAs you see, you get all the different layers of the story over the years. Prior to 2016, the fans had been publicly portrayed as hooligans by The Sun and the unsuccessful inquests due to them being based false testimony and doctored evidence, which also cast doubt on their cause. Once those files went public that was the game changer. Its heartbreaking to think of your loved ones being vilified in death like that. YWNWA
Danny
2025-06-12 14:52:28 +0000 UTCThe police used the incident in Italy with the Liverpool fans against them at Hillsborough. Essentially throwing them under the bus, saying they did that then and they did it again now at Hillsborough. Due to the evidence in the inquests and investigations being so in depth, their false narrative was shot to pieces. There was still more evidence of their cover up only being found out decades later in the final inquest
Danny
2025-06-12 14:21:13 +0000 UTCmike has got confused again, the V
Dave Roberts
2025-06-12 14:00:19 +0000 UTCHillsborough laid bare some horrible truths. The difference in the UK between the establishment and the plebs. The haves and the have nots. Those who want, and those who won’t. Justice, now and forever, to the 97. May they forever rest in peace. And as a small aside, rest in peace also to Peter Jones, the commentator who said “… and the sun shines now”. One of the UK’s most gifted broadcasters.
Derek Fleming
2025-06-12 12:58:24 +0000 UTCThis was an incredibly dark day for football & even our nation. I've watched a few videos on this tragedy. I hope my suggestion gets a shot at the poll. It will lighten things up for you again regarding football. The country really came together for that tournament. It includes some Scottish passion too. (The summer that football came home).
Chicken Nugget
2025-06-12 12:38:26 +0000 UTCThank you for reacting to this so thoughtfully! It hurts how much the media and gov worked to cover it up and blame the Liverpool fans for such incompetence from the event organisers and police. RIP to the 97 YNWA
Shuayb
2025-06-12 12:12:24 +0000 UTCAll those police officers and government officials who purposely lied, and those that have since departed, know in their consciousness that they did so.
Fordy7169
2025-06-12 11:41:28 +0000 UTCI think the narrator was just pointing out that the poor conditions and facilities at many stadiums for large crowds was a ticking time-bomb i.e. poorly built walls, crumbling terrace steps, weak crush barriers. It was only a matter of time and circumstances before a disaster with loss of life would happen. The authorities view of football fans as all hooligans massively coloured their attitude to policing and control allowing stadium conditions to be swept under the carpet and the media to make 'hooliganism' the number 1 problem with football.
Fordy7169
2025-06-12 11:37:48 +0000 UTCI was there and only 8 years old at the time but a forest fan and i remember sat crying in the forest end watching it unfold.. was so looking forward to the day and then turned out such a horrific one. RIP to all that was affected.
Andy Gore
2025-06-12 09:53:32 +0000 UTCMy Uncle was in the disaster. He was 17 years old. He was meant to be going just 2 other 17 year olds but a 13 year old on the street was begging for them to take him. His Mother said he was allowed to go if my Uncle looked after him. His 2 17 year old friends died in the disaster and the 13 year old became paralysed from the neck down. MY Uncle come home and burned all of his Liverpool shirts and memorabilia and hasn't watched a match since due to PTSD. He had to have his spleen removed and is still effected to date. It's truly devastating.
Carl Eaton
2025-06-12 09:18:38 +0000 UTCI once did university exams in the hillsborough gym, and spent most of the time sat thinking to myself that this was used as the morgue, and thinking about all those poor people, and their families. Failed that exam
Scott
2025-06-12 09:16:06 +0000 UTCI was born in 1981 so only a kid when this happened but I remember it well from being all over the news. Absolutely tragic 😞
Emma Edwards
2025-06-12 08:48:32 +0000 UTCA very worthy poll winner as i knew it would be. A hard watch. Please dont give up on the grojsean video though 🙏🏻
Jay Lo
2025-06-12 08:40:22 +0000 UTCMorning Mike and Jess, a big bluenose (everton fan) here so grew up with this going on, the documentary you watched is pretty well put together but the only thing i'd say about it is that I dont think they should have included the information about Heysel at the start or at least spent a bit more time clarifying the links between the two incidents or making it abundantly clear that it was two completely different events. The reason I say this is because a few times l heard Mike reference the Liverpool fans chucking stuff at the Juve fans when talking about the Hillsborough disaster, not your fault obviously but a reason why i dont think they should have included information about Heysel at the start as anyone unfamiliar with football around that time may struggle to separate out the elements of the two separate disasters. Hope I've made sense and not just rambled on 👍
Richie Rowlands
2025-06-12 08:22:42 +0000 UTCIv been watching Bolton home and away for over 20 years and the thought of having to go into a pen like that terrifies me Heartbreaking that something like this had to happen before they took the safety of people seriously R.I.P to the 97
Corey
2025-06-12 08:08:39 +0000 UTCRest in peace to the 97 never forgotten, #lfc
James Winnard
2025-06-12 07:37:19 +0000 UTCThank you, Mike and Jess, for your thoughtful and sensitive reaction to this. xxx
Carol
2025-06-12 07:35:39 +0000 UTCALL shops in Liverpool don't sell The Scum "newspaper." It's banned from the entire city.
JokerDanny
2025-06-12 07:33:41 +0000 UTCThe fans didn't go there looking to attack people, that is another lie by the police.
JokerDanny
2025-06-12 07:27:17 +0000 UTCHonestly one of the most stupid things I’ve ever read
Chris Holloway
2025-06-12 07:16:59 +0000 UTCThe Hillsborough disaster was a dark day for football. The police did themselves no favours by doctoring witness statements to imply the police did everything right and that the fans were entirely to blame, this was compounded by the Sun newspaper, which put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Liverpool fans. I doubt any of those commenting were actually there, so their views are based entirely on what they have seen and what they have heard (including the relatives of the deceased). The football authorities should have delayed the start to ensure everyone got in to a safe (and not overcrowded) area, the authorities should also have learned lessons from previous crowd issues, but seemingly did not (including a lack of a safety certificate). It must be acknowledged that the overcrowding was due to fans squeezing into an area which was already overpopulated, and as I sometimes ask, would you crowd into a packed elevator rather than wait for the next one? sadly there are many that would, putting their lives and the lives of those already in the elevator at risk. To a great extent, the lives lost that day are ALL that matters, and whilst I agree lessons need to be learned, they seldom are. It took 27 years for a 'verdict' to be reached during which time the focus changed from fan culpability to police culpability, when in fact there were errors on both sides and laying blame does nothing to bring back those who perished (though preserving their dignity and right to be seen as victims is paramount).
John Laverty
2025-06-12 07:14:16 +0000 UTCThis disaster is why many shops in Liverpool won’t sell the Sun newspaper. It’s a shame the rest of the country didn’t follow suit.
Erica
2025-06-12 07:09:27 +0000 UTCNo they didn't you utter scumbag.
JokerDanny
2025-06-12 06:52:25 +0000 UTCThat was a tough watch. Well done for getting through it and sharing the story. The number changes from 96 to 97, as the last victim died as a direct result of his injuries in 2021.
Thomas Tom S.
2025-06-12 06:42:20 +0000 UTCRe the 1985 disaster, sure the stadium wasnt the best, but lets not kid ourselves - thousands of violent liverpool thugs caused it. 'Oh , you support the other team, dont mind me , ill just throw a brick at your face. Please dont injure yourself if you choose to run away.'
fredfinks
2025-06-12 06:28:21 +0000 UTC97 never forgotten
Phil
2025-06-12 06:09:14 +0000 UTC
